Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown using draft snub as chip on his shoulder

USC Trojans wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hoped to be a second-day draft selection but had to wait until the Detroit Lions spent a fourth-round pick on him to hear his name called earlier this month. He participated in this weekend's rookie minicamp sessions and made his intentions clear when speaking with reporters on Sunday. 

"I'm excited to work and I'm ready to take someone's job," St. Brown said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 

St. Brown added that he's reviewed the names of the receivers drafted ahead of him, an admirable accomplishment even if his math was slightly incorrect.

"I’m never going to forget the 15 receivers that went before me in the draft," he said. "That’s kind of the chip that I have on my shoulder coming in, everything that I do. Whenever I’m thinking about anything, that just comes back to my mind and it just motivates me to do more."

As Birkett noted, St. Brown was the 17th receiver taken in the 2021 draft class. Close enough. 

St. Brown isn't the only individual receiving a fresh start with Detroit this spring. The Lions have a new head coach and a new QB1, as they exchanged Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff earlier this offseason. Both Goff and St. Brown could benefit from the two becoming fast friends ahead of August preseason action.